Accused Sanader U-turn on extradition bid

Accused ex Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader wants to be extradited back to Croatia.The former PM is currently being detained in Austria after he had been arrested in December on an international arrest warrant issued by Zagreb.Whilst in office in Croatia, Sanader was accused of abusing his power with cases involving state-run companies for millions of Euros. He also faces charges of money laundering in Austria.Sanader had been refusing extradition back to Croatia after he claimed he would not get a fair trial in his homeland. However, he has now changed his mind after his name was “linked to possible negative connotations” with regards to Croatia’s attempt to enter the European Union.A decision will be made in Salzburg on 21 June as to whether Sanader will be extradited back to Croatia or not. Croatia will want to look strong as the fight against the country’s corruption is key if the country is to be successful in joining the EU.